Mail-crane.



No. 724,313. PATENTED MAB. 31,1903. R. MINGES.

. MAIL CRANE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1901. RENEWED AUG. 14, 1902. no MODEL.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- 2 V /F @a/ :1

b o o c7 X O o J 16 In O Fig". 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

fif bar'd M'ng'ea 44 a W By w r W V WTORNEY Q 2 SHEBTS-SHEET PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903.

R. MINGES.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1901. RENEWED AUG. 14, 1902.

Fig. 4-.

y 1 I? M\ m 2 u /F 110 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

NlTED STATES ATENT FFICE.

RICHARD MIN GES, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL V. NEWELL, OF CENTRAL CITY, COLORADO.

M'AILEQCRAN E.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 724,313, dated March 31, 1903. Application filed November 2, 1901. Renewed August 14, 1902. Serial No. 119,683. (No model.)

To alt whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD MINGES, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at Denments in mail-cranes for railway-cars; and it consists in an arm pivoted to the car, a latch for holding the'same in its outer or operative position, and a trigger'for releasing said latch when a mail-bag is caught, and means for swinging the arm of the crane inwardly for depositing the mail-bag within the car. 7

It also consists in certain. other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter'fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved mail-crane in its folded position, adjoining portions of a car being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the arm of the crane in its outer latched position ready to receive a mail-pouch. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the crane looking at the arm thereof from its outer edge. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a railway-car, showing a crane applied thereto and in position to deliver and receive a mail-pouch. Fig. 5 is a horizontal central section through the crane, the latch and trigger mechanism being shown in elevation.

In providing a mail-crane for railway-cars I employ a supporting-bracket 1, which is secured to one jamb of the side door of a car. The bracket is formed with a pair of lugs 2, between which the main arm 3 of the crane is pivoted. The crane-arm 3 is made of sufficient length to alittle more than reach across the opening of the do0r, its outer end resting against the other door-jamb when the crane is in its foldedpos'ition, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The arm 3 is preferably split for a greater portion of its length, beginning at its inner end, and a latch 4 is pivoted in the bifurcated portion thus formed, and a trigger mechan ism 5 for operating said latch is also pivot-- ally mounted therein. A spring of considerable streugth, as 6, connects a pin on the arm with the bracket 1, the spring being arranged to draw inside the pivotal point of the cranearm, so as to normally tend to pull said arm into its folded position. The bracket 1 is formed with an outwardly-projectingstationary arm 7, which limits the outer movement of the crane-arm 3. The outer end of this fixed arm or support 7 is bifurcated, as at 8, to receive the latch 4.

The outer end of the fixed arm 7 is provided A with a pair of outwardly-turned lugs 9, between which is pivoted a bar or pouch-supporting arm 10. The outer end of the said arm 10 is formed with a hook 11, upon which a pouch or bag containing mail-matter may be hung when the arm 10 is raised to a horizontal position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The

. said arm 10 is adapted to be supported in a horizontal position by the latch 4 when the crane-arm3is open. Thelatch4ispreferably made in the form of a segmentalplate pivoted at its inner end to the crane-arm 3 and provided with a notch 12, adapted to fit upon the edge of the fixed arm 7. When the crane-arm 3 is opened against the fixed arm 7, it is held in that position by swinging the latch 4 on its pivot so as to bring the notch 12 into engages ment with the fixed arm 7. The crane-arm is thus locked against the action of the spring 6, and its outer slightly-curved end is in position to receive a mail-pouch suspended by the roadside in any suitable manner. When the latch-plate 4 is brought into engagement with the arm 7, it forces the arm 10 outwardly into its horizontal position for supporting thev mail-pouch which is to be dropped.

The trigger mechanism 5 forms an impor-:'

tant feature of my invention, since it makes itpossible for the crane mechanism to be automatically released upon receivinga pouch and causes the said mechanism to drop the pouch which is to be delivered at the same time. This trigger mechanism preferably consists of a lever 13, pivoted in the bifurcated portion of the crane-arm about mid way its length. The outer end of said lever 13 is pivotally connected, by means of a link or rod 14, with the latch-plate 4. The inner end of the arm 13 is preferably bifurcated and carries a trigger-roller, as 15. When the crane is folded, the trigger-roller is moved back somewhat between the upper and lower portions of the crane-arm; but when the said crane-arm is opened and the latch-plate 4 is moved into engagement with the fixed arm 7 the said trigger-wheel 15 is thrown forward into a more prominent position, so that when the arm catches a pouch the pouch in sliding along the inner surface of said arm will hit the trigger-roller l5 and force it rearwardly, so as to pull the latch-plate 4 out of engagement with the arm 7, and thus release the crane-arm, so that the spring 6 will instantly pull it inwardly, throwing the pouch into the car, the said latch-plate 4 at the same time permitting the arm 10 to drop and release any mail bag or pouch which may have been hung thereon. The crane 3 is preferably provided with upwardly and downwardly extending frames or guide-arms 16 and 17, which assist in throwing the bag inwardly as it is struck by the crane-arm. Theselateralframesorarms also tend to prevent the bag or pouch from slipping downwardly from said arm, they being preferably bent inwardly to some extent at their outer ends, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

It will be understood that'I could use a trigger-lever without a roller at its end, if desired; but 1 preferably employ the roller, since I find that it tends to rotate the pouch, giving it a whirling movement, and thereby breaking the force of the bag to some extent before it reaches the interior of the car.

From the above description it will be seen that my mail-crane mechanism is simple in structure and yet automatic in its handling of the mail. Such a structure does away with all danger which is attendant upon the use of cranes which have to be held in their outer positions andturned inwardly by hand to receive and deposit in a car a mail-pouch. \Vith the present structure it is not necessary for an attendant to remain near the crane after he has pushed it open and locked it in position by the latch-plate. He can also suspend a bag or pouch which is to be delivered upon the arm 10, so that the operation of receiving and delivering mail will need no further attention whatever. The improved construction above described is also capable of another function. It will operate to receive and properly care for a mail-pouch whether the car-door is open or not. When the door is open, it will of course deliver the pouch inside the car, as above described; but when the door is closed the crane-arm will clamp the mail-pouch against the door, holding it there until it can be taken into the car.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mail-crane comprising a crane-arm ivoted to a car, means normally tending to lraw the arm inwardly, a latch carried by the arm at one point and arranged. to hold the same against the action of said means, a trigger also carried by the arm at another point and projecting beyond the bag-engaging surface thereof, so as to be in the path of the mail-bag, and means connecting the trigger with the latch, the said trigger releasing the latch when thus engaged to permit the cranearm to swing inwardly, substantially as described.

2. A mail-crane, comprising a crane-arm, a latch-plate for holding the crane-arm in its open position, a pouch-delivering arm held in an elevated position by the said latch-plate, and a trigger mechanism adapted to be struck by the pouch received for releasing the cranearm and the pouch-supporting arm, whereby the pouch received will be thrown into the car, and the pouch to be delivered will be dropped, substantially as described.

3. A mail-crane, comprising a bracket secured to a car, the said bracket having a limiting-arm projecting therefrom, a crane-arm pivoted to said bracket adapted to rest against said limiting-arm when open, a latch carried by said crane-arm for engaging said limitingarm to hold the crane-arm open, and a trigger mechanism also carried by said cranearm for releasing said latch and means connecting the trigger and latch, substantially as described.

4:. A mail-crane, comprising a supporting bracket, a crane-arm pivoted thereto, a spring for drawing the crane-arm inwardly, a limiting-arm on said bracket, a latch-plate adapted to engage said limiting-arm for holding the crane-arm open, a trigger-lever pivoted to the crane-arm and connected with the latch-plate, the said lever being adapted to be struck by the pouch received for releasing the latchplate and permitting the crane arm to be swung inwardly, substantially as described.

5. A mail crane, comprising a pivoted crane-arm, a latch mechanism for holding the same in its open position, means for drawing the said crane-arm inwardly when released from said latch mechanism, a trigger mech-' anism for operating the latch mechanism, comprising a lever pivoted to the crane-arm, a link connecting it with the latch-plate, and a trigger-roller carried by the free end of the said lever, the said roller projecting beyond the crane-arm so as to be struck by the pouch which is'received, whereby the trigger mechanism will be operated, the said trigger-roller imparting a whirling movement to the pouch so as to greatly diminish the force with which it is deposited in the car, substantially as described.

6. A mail crane, comprising a pivoted crane-arm bifurcated for a greater portion of its length, a bracket for pivotally supporting said arm, said bracket having a limiting-arm projecting therefrom which is bifurcated at its outer end,a latch-plate pivoted in the bifurcated portion of the crane-arm and adapted to projectinto the bifurcated end of the limitingarm, the said latch-plate having a notch for engaging the edge of the limiting-arm, a trigger mechanism also pivoted in the bifurcated portion of the crane -arm for releasing the latch-plate, a pouch-supporting arm pivoted to the outer end of the limiting-arm above the latch-plate so that the said arm will be raised to a horizontal pouch-supporting position when the latch-plate is brought into engagement with the limiting-arm, the releasin g of the latch-plate serving to drop the said pouch-supporting arm to deliver the pouch, substantially as described.

7. A mail-crane comprising a crane-arm pivoted to a car, means for normally drawing the arm inwardly, a latch secured to the arm RICHARD MINGES Witnesses:

JOHN EWELL, J r., H. M. STODDARD. 

